31 Beautiful Things, Day 15: Comfort Food

When my oldest comes home from college, I always build the menu around his requests. This time he requested, among other things, chicken and dumplings. Chicken and dumplings is not on my On the Menu list. My only experience with the dish is not a pleasant one. My mother was an excellent cook, but her chicken and dumplings were truly dreadful. Oh, just horrid: big, pulpy balls of greasy dough in a greasy stew. Wow.

But Randy and Jesse once ordered chicken and dumplings at Cracker Barrel and told me how the dish should be, so I have it a whirl. And YUM! I used this recipe at Back to the Cutting Board. I already had shredded chicken and homemade broth, so I was ahead of the game. The dumplings turned out perfectly. My only change was that I had to keep adding more broth/water because we ended up having 3 extra guests for dinner.

Chicken and Dumplings is going on my menu list and will be on my own personal list of comfort foods, those beautiful foods that make you feel truly nourished, warm, and loved: macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, chicken and rice soup, baked potato soup, and pumpkin bread.

What's on your list of comfort foods?

Day 1
Day 2: Morning Coffee
Day 3: It's OK to Break for Bugs 
Day 4: Supper and Cards 
Day 5: Running with Randy
Day 6: At Cataloochee 
Day 7: A Brand New Thing
Day 8: Alma Mater 
Day 9: Writing Group 
Day 10: Big Brother, Baby Nephew 
Day 11: Little Girls
Day 12: Boy Home 
Day 13: Quiet 
Day 14: Family Legends 
Day 15: Comfort Food